How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
If you have anger issues, this one is a great tool (h/t mindyourbusiness)
This week’s book:
Discourses and Selected Writings
Disclaimer: I’m not your Supervisor. These are my opinions after reading through these books a few times.
Epictetus was born a slave around 50 ad. His owner was Epaphroditus, a rich freedman who was once a slave of Nero. Though he was a slave Epictetus was sent to study philosophy under Musonius Rufus.
Epictetus was lame and there are some stories it was caused by his master and others that it was caused by disease.
He was a freedman when all philosophers were banished from Rome in 89 by the Emperor Domitian. He then started his school in Greece, and had many students. He did not leave any writings from his lessons, but one of his students, Flavius Arrian, took notes and wrote the Discourses.
Epictetus did not marry, had no children, and lived to be around 80-85. In retirement, he adopted a child that would have been abandoned and raised him with a woman.
He died sometime around AD 135.
He is my favorite Stoic teacher. I love his bare bones and very straight forward approach.
Following is a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of one of his lessons. Epictetus’s text appears italicized in bold, my replies are in normal text.
Of freedom from fear Part III
Who is there, then, that I can any longer be afraid of? Shall I be afraid of the chamberlains? For fear they do what? Lock the door in my face? If they find me wanting to enter, let them lock the door in my face!—Why, then, do you go to the gate of the palace?—Because I think it fitting for me to join in the game while the game lasts.
If I want something outside of my control, I have to be accepting of the fact I might not get what I want. As long as I understand this, then the thing I desire has no power over me. Problems start when I feel I deserve something or get amgry because something isn’t “fair”.
20—How, then, is it that you are not locked out?[3]—Because, if anyone will not receive me, I do not care to go in, but always I wish rather the thing which takes place. For I regard God’s will as better than my will. I shall attach myself to Him as a servant and follower, my choice is one with His, my desire one with His, in a word, my will is one with His will. No door is locked in my face, but rather in the face of those who would force themselves in. Why, then, do I not force myself in? Why, because I know that within nothing good is distributed among those who have entered. But when I hear someone called blessed, because he is being honored by Caesar, I say, “What is his portion? Does he, then, get also a judgement such as he ought to have for governing a province?[† 1] Does he, then, get also the ability to administer a procuratorship? Why should I any longer push my way in?
The things I want out of life are not things that other people have the power to give me. Because of this, I do not have to be false to myself or pretend I enjoy things I don’t in an effort to fit in and become popular.
Somebody is scattering dried figs and nuts; the children snatch them up and fight with one another, the men do not, for they count this a small matter. But if somebody throws potsherds around, not even the children snatch them up. Governorships are being passed around. The children shall see[4] to that. Money. The children shall see to that. A praetorship, a consulship. Let the children snatch them up; let the children have the door locked in their faces, take a beating, kiss the hands of the giver, and the hands of his slaves. As for me, it’s a mere scattering of dried figs and nuts.” But what, then, if, when the man is throwing them about, a dried fig chances to fall into my lap? I take it up and eat it. For I may properly value even a dried fig as much as that. But neither a dried fig, nor any other of the things not good, which the philosophers have persuaded me not to think good, is of sufficient value to warrant my grovelling and upsetting someone else, or being upset by him, or flattering those who have flung the dried figs among us.
I enjoy the things I have managed to accomplish in life, but do not beg others for more. I also value things differently than a lot of people I know. I work, but my life outside of that is more important. I did not always have this perspective and put my wife and kids through a lot of difficult times because I seemed to believe the Marine Corps could not get by without me.
25Show me the swords of the guards. “See how large and how sharp they are!” What, then, do these large and sharp swords do? “They kill.” And what does fever do? “Nothing else.” And what does a tile do? “Nothing else.” Do you want me, then, to respect and do obeisance to all these things, and to go about as the slave of them all? Far from it! But if once I have learned that what is born must also perish, so that the world may not stand still, nor be hampered, it makes no difference to me whether a fever shall bring that consummation, or a tile, or a soldier; but, if I must make a comparison, I know that the soldier will bring it about with less trouble and more speed.
There are many things that can kill people, and we will all die someday. I have had enough experiences where I thought I was going to die or been in combat where it could happen at any moment, so I am confident that death does not scare me. I am not looking forward to it, but I understand it is a part of life that we can not decide when or how it will happen. I am reminded of Ned Stark in Game of Thrones when he was offered the chance to confess to something he didn’t do to preserve his life. He replied “You think my life is some precious thing to me? That I would trade my honor for a few more years… of what?” If a person truly has this mindset, they can not be controlled.
I have been traveling for work the past week, I have identified one area that my Stoicism is lacking in: going to the airport. I always feel as though I am going to be late. Even when I am on track to arrive at the airport 2 1/2 hours before the flight. This makes me stressed out for no reason. Then I made it through security and got to my gate 1 hour and 45 minutes before boarding even started. Why do I do this to myself? My wife blames the Marine Corps, but I think it’s just me and something I should be able to control. I no longer get angry at the TSA, but I do not talk to those people while I am going through.
“Why do I do this to myself?”
Ron, it goes with the territory. The fear of being late and making the other person have to wait is our training. Better we should wait a 1/2 hour than the other end have to wait a couple minutes.
“Better to be 10 minutes early than 1 minute late”
/My Old Boss
I leave for appointments plenty early, “in case something happens” like an accident or traffic or some other figment of my imagination. I often take a book, in case there is none of the above. Occasionally it pays off, get in early, out early. Usually though it works the other way.
My wife doesn’t understand my anxiety, I have to prod her to make sure we arrive too early.
I concur. For some reason I tend to leave 5 or 10 minutes later than I plan, but I’m still running early. And yet, I’m in the car stressing out about it the whole way. Even if I am late a few minutes for an appointment, nobody really cares. But I do, a little too much.
When you say you’re going to do something then you make sure you do it. That includes appointments.
You need to show up 15 minutes early to the 15 minute early formation.
Dr’s receptionist: Please plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment.
::shows up 15 minutes early::
::waits another 45 minutes to see the doctor::
True that!
My billable time is $200 an hour, $1.70 a mile.
Make it snappy Doc.
It takes a long time to get those instruments cold.
Yep – I still want to be 15 minutes early for everything. My wife enjoys being 15 minutes late. That causes the most tension in our marriage on a regular basis.
Heading out in 20min and I will say, this gig’s location is remarkably convenient, only five minutes away. On the way, I’ll have to wait in my car to finish the last half of my ritual, ‘begin-the -day smoke. Solid positive.
I’ll be trying our German sausage for lunch, $1.82. These euphemisms, which aren’t, are plump, juicy and well-veined. (Yeesh.)
(Ev, I think I had a movie recommendation based on something you’d said overnight. I’ll have to go look. Don’t wait up.)
Curious to hear! I’ll be around to check!
What prompted it? (Best not be Reefer Madness…)
Eh, not important. But good.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089606
I FUCKING DO!
I have been tempted to bleat like a sheep while in line.
You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he’s really sick.
And if two people, two people do it, in harmony they may think they’re both faggots.
If three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people standing in line bleating like a sheep? They may think it’s an organization.
/sits on Group W bench
TSA is security theater.
They steal.
They grope.
They bark contradictory orders.
They don’t make me safer. In fact, they make me less safe. My wallet is waiting in a bin at the end of the conveyer looking like easy picking for the rest of the sheep while those fucks figure out if I can walk through the Rape Scanner yet.
I haven’t flown for over a decade.
One time in the way back days while in my class As they made me take my boots off, what a pain in the ass.
🎶 Don’t touch Nick’s bags if you pleeease, Mr. Customs Man
I dread flying now, for that reason. And I agree it’s just theater. For a person in a wheelchair, they put you to the side next to the scanner to wait for a person to come get you. Then they take you through a gate, and you pass by all the people who have already been scanned to get to an area where they feel you up. I know they have cameras and all, but every time I can’t help think a person with some sleight of hand skills could easily pass something to a person who’s already been scanned. I guess I watch too many TV shows.
I have the same feelings about death. There is no fear of it but I don’t want to miss out on the good things that won’t happen for another few decades. I wasn’t to see my kids have children of their own and hold them. If they are slow like me that won’t be for another 32 years. I pray I make it that far with my facilities. I know my body will be shot by then as it is now.
These people could use a good dose of Stoicism
Meanwhile, lawmakers and industry figures alike worry that Paramount’s acquisition could trigger deep layoffs. Schultz, whose district includes the Warner Bros. lot, said that there is “a lot of angst in our community” over the sale.
“It creates a lot of uncertainty among our residents,” he said. “I want to ensure that … we’re going to have jobs staying in our community, that we’re going to see vibrant and consistent production on our studio lot.”
The fleas think they should be running the circus. Why wouldn’t they?
The movie industry as it is is a dead man walking. They are clearly in denial about that.
*Looks at white collar industries* What are you laughing about?
What’s the matter with Kansas?
The Kansas state government has invalidated the driver’s licenses and birth certificates of transgender residents who changed the gender on those documents, in accordance with a law that took effect on Thursday.
The move affects more than 1,000 people. The law requires residents to change their gender identification to the sex they were assigned at birth, and also bans residents from changing their gender on those documents in the future.
Affected residents must pay for their new driver’s licenses.
The law also requires transgender people to use bathrooms and locker rooms in buildings owned or leased by government entities that match their sex assigned at birth.
Transgender people in the United States have faced increasing restrictions at the state and national levels. Republican President Donald Trump has taken a particularly hard line since returning to office last year, issuing multiple executive orders limiting transgender rights.
It’s genocide, I tells ya.
“…limiting transgender rights.”
No he did not.
“increasing restrictions”
I guess you could see it that way, if you think the baseline is they should be able to impose their life choices on everyone else. I’m betting that article used the word “erased” too.
The new Kansas law “puts transgender people in danger any time they interact with law enforcement or apply for a job or for housing or public benefits,” said Harper Seldin, a senior staff attorney with the LGBTQ and HIV Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
“The mismatch between how they present themselves in the world and their driver’s license puts them at risk of discrimination or violence, and so that’s why many trans people choose to change the sex markers on our licenses so that we can live as ourselves in society and keep ourselves safe.”
“You’re not fooling anyone, you know.”
I no longer get angry at the TSA
If you no longer get angry at the TSA, you have transcended Stoicism into some other higher realm.
I’m driving through Boise ID, Ogden UT, and Laramie WY starting on Mar 4th, should be back through but dipping into SLC on the 11th on my return trip.
I dont know if any Glibs are in any of those areas or not.
I’ll be on the job site in the Boise area around 5pm mountain then back on the road probably 5 or 6 pm on the 5th, maybe a little later. Then onto Wyoming.
I’ll be headed through Boise on the 5th. Not the 4th.
Where are you starting from?
Greetings from North Nowhere Vermont where the rising temperature is stuck at 31.9F. NNV wasn’t affected by the recent Nor’easter but the old snow is still pretty deep. Tomorrow’s high is supposed to be 42F but then March comes in like a lion because Sunday night’s low is supposed to be -7F. I’ve got more firewood than the Winter has days left.
One of yesterday’s projects was to apply to get a replacement Social Security card which I may need since one of these years I’ll probably apply for Social Security. I have no idea where the card I got as a kid is. I went to the SSA web site and started the application process to be told I first had to create a Login.gov account. I started the account creation process and was told my e-mail address already had an account. I was able to change the password with a simple cell phone text message code exchange and discovered I created the account when I looked into getting TSA Precheck in 2024.
Continuing the SSA application process to prove my identity I uploaded images of my Vermont Real ID card and a selfie and was then told my cell phone number couldn’t be verified. This is the same number I used to change the Login.gov password and to which the SSA sent the link for the image uploading. They suggested I try a different phone number I’ve used for awhile. I’ve had my cell phone number for over a decade. After I thought about it for awhile I think the reason I never continued with the TSA Precheck thing is I encountered the same problem.
The SSA says one can go to a Post Office to have one’s identity verified. Since my small town’s Post Office just just down the street I’m going to do that. I have no idea what’s involved. I bet the Postmistress also has no idea what’s involved.
The idea being to generate as much ice especially black ice as possible!
That’s raycist!
I’d accuse the Weather Gods of being capricious but they hate being anthropomorphized.
The login.gov thing keeps getting worse. They have farmed it out to ID me and it’s weird. They had me do some live chat to verify my identity a couple years ago when I was trying to file my quarterly and the bandwidth at my place is so low the chat looked like it was 16 bit. If anything signing in through IDme is even less secure than the IRS was.
No one was going to log in and pay my estimated taxes for me. Just another more expensive layer of security theatre.
Primate dominance display
Denver directed city police Thursday to come to the aid of people protesting the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown, authorizing officers to detain federal agents who use deadly force.
The directive to aid peaceful protesters is outlined in an executive order signed by Mayor Mike Johnston that reflects the lingering outrage over the killing of Alex Pretti and Renée Nicole Good by federal agents deployed to Minneapolis last month.
“If we see any ICE officer using excessive force against a Denver resident, we will step in to detain that officer and remove them from the situation,” Johnston, a Democrat, said during a press conference to outline the order. “We hold our own officers to that standard, and we will hold any ICE agent to the same.”
Whatever.
🙄
How about protecting protesters by keeping them separated from ICE agents?
#ows738 🔎 5/5 (00:46)
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🔥 streak: 1
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#stack353 5/5
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⏱️ 2m 5s
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The city’s order directs the Denver Police Department to protect peaceful protesters, provide emergency medical assistance and “de-escalate” conflicts with ICE officers.
It also directs local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute any ICE officer who assaults, shoots or kills someone in Denver, and prohibits the use of city-owned property such as parks or parking lots for enforcement staging or operations. A similar law banning ICE from state property is being contested by the Trump administration in New Jersey.
Prior to this there was no investigative authority for police use of force. It’s about damn time.